Chapter Thirteen

Matthew

“Third base is really a good place to be.” She smiles at me while I watch her. Her eyes move down my chest, landing on my cock that’s straining to get out and in her. She looks like she’s about to eat me. Her tongue comes out to lick her lips. She sits up slowly, grabbing my waist. “You know what’s the best thing about third base?” she asks me, but I can’t answer because her fingers touch me, making my mouth dry, like sand in the desert. She puts one finger and fits it into the elastic at my waist, her touch making my stomach suck in as soon as she gets close to my cock. She peels my underwear down over my hips, my cock springing free.

“Oh. My. God,” she says out loud as her eyes finally make contact with my cock, her fingers trying to wrap around the base, but it's so big they don’t touch. When her hand moves up my shaft, I hiss out over her.

“You’re killing me, babe.”

She shakes her head. “Nope, not yet, but I will.” Is the last thing she says before she leans in, licking the tip. “Get ready for third base.”

Her mouth covers the tip of my cock, my eyes closing while I try not to come right away. Her small hand squeezes my cock while her mouth tries to deep throat me, stopping halfway down. I open my eyes, watching her hair fall over her face, blocking the view of my cock sliding into her mouth. I take one hand, pushing her hair to the side while my hips move on their own, thrusting into her mouth. Her hand works with her mouth, coming up when her mouth comes up. Her tongue curls around me while she sucks me back down into her mouth. My other hand goes to the back of her head as my hips continue to thrust, this time going a little deeper. Her moaning shoots through my cock down to my balls.

“Fuck. I’m not going to last long.” And I’m not lying either. Her mouth on me, it’s almost my breaking point. She sucks me, her cheeks going hollow, and then her eyes meet mine. My balls get tight, and I know I’m about to come. “I’m going to come,” I tell her while I let go of her head so she can move her head, but she doesn’t. She just sucks me deeper, her eyes never leaving mine as I let go and come into her mouth, watching her swallow all that I have to offer. She doesn’t let me go till I empty inside of her mouth. She continues for a minute longer till she’s sure I’m done.

The minute my cock leaves her mouth, she smiles at me shyly, turning her face to the side, trying to get off the bed. I stop her by putting my hand under her chin. “Not so fast there.”

She stops, facing me.

“Naked.”

She looks confused.

“From now on, new rule. We sleep naked.”

“I’m not sleeping naked. I don’t like sleeping naked. What if there’s a fire?” she asks me while my hand leaves her chin. “What if there’s a fire and I have to run in the street naked?”

I smile at her, seeing that she is secretly freaking out about sleeping naked. “Babe, if there’s a fire, I’ll make sure you're dressed before we go out.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “What if the fire starts in my closet and I have no clothes?”

I lean down and kiss her on the lips, smiling. “Okay, leave a robe by the bed. Happy?” I get off the bed. “Problem solved. Now I’m going to make sure everything is locked. Get into bed.”

She turns around to get off the bed, picking up her bra from the floor.

“Naked, babe.”

I walk out of the room while she is glaring at me, going downstairs and making sure everything is locked up. I pick up my phone from the counter and go upstairs. I walk into the room that’s now dark, and I see her under the covers in almost a ball.

I walk over to my side of the bed, tossing the covers over while getting underneath them. I go to the middle where I touch her bare skin. She came to bed naked, for me. Smiling, I pull her to me.

“Fuck off, Matthew,” she tells me, making me laugh into her neck. “We better not be naked in the middle of the street.”

My hand rests on her stomach while I kiss her neck and listen to her fall asleep. The sound of her soft breathing fills the room. I hear my phone buzz, but I don’t move away from her. Whatever it is can wait for morning. Closing my eyes, I follow her into sleep.

I don’t know what time it is, but all I hear are phones ringing. I open my eyes slowly, my arm dead asleep with Karrie’s head on it. She must hear the ringing also because she shoots her arm out to grab the phone.

“Hello.” Her voice is still sleepy. I don’t know who is on the phone, but she bolts up, grabbing the sheet from falling down her chest. “What are you talking about?” she asks, throwing her legs off the bed and rushing to her closet. “Where are they saying that he was?” I get up, grabbing my phone, seeing the twenty-seven missed calls from Cooper, along with one text.

You better be fucking sleeping! IN YOUR OWN BED!!!

My eyebrows pinch together in confusion while Karrie comes out of her closet, dressed in yoga pants and a sweater that falls off a shoulder, showing her perfect skin. My cock must think it’s time to play because he’s ready for action.

“You need to get dressed,” she says, throwing her phone on her bed. “My father is on his way here.” She runs around the room, talking to herself again.

“Why does this happen to me?” She walks to the bathroom, then comes back into the bedroom. “I should have gone with my gut.” She continues while she picks up my boxers that are lying on the floor the minute the doorbell rings. Her face goes whiter than white. “Oh. My. God.” She throws my boxers at me while she walks to the window and looks outside. “It's my father.” And she ties her hair on top of her head, pacing the room. “Oh my God, this is horrible. Get dressed. Meet me downstairs.” And she runs out of the room, down the stairs, yelling, “Coming.”

I run my hands over my face, grabbing my boxers and putting them on with the basketball shorts that I put on the bedside table last night. I walk down the stairs into the living room. I stop in the doorway when I take in that it isn’t just Karrie’s dad, but it’s the coach and Robert, all sitting there, their eyes landing straight on me.

“Well, look at this,” Karrie’s dad, Doug, says, folding his arms over his chest, but I don’t say anything because the door opens again with Mindy, the PR girl, coming in.

She stops at the doorway, looking me up and down, taking me in. “Perhaps you could put on a shirt.” I hear Karrie from the side of the room sitting next to her father, her knee bouncing with nerves.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Mindy says, walking into the room, taking the remote, and turning on the television.

“It looks like the bad boy has come out to play in New York.”

The second I hear the broadcaster’s voice on the television I look up and see that they have a picture of me sitting on top of a bar with my shirt off, a blonde straddling my lap while she pours tequila down my throat, my hands in the air.

“These pictures were leaked from a credible source and my question is what is Doug going to do now?”

Mindy turns off the television while everyone in the room turns to me. Robert is shooting daggers at me. Doug has steam ready to blow out of his ears, and Coach is sitting back on the couch, his leg moving in the beat of Karrie’s leg also.

“This is a fucking nightmare,” Doug says, then addresses Karrie. “I thought you could handle him.”

“Watch it,” I say before I can even think that I’m talking to my boss, and her father. His eyebrows move up, surprised while I continue, “This isn’t Karrie’s fault in the least. Let me see those pictures,” I tell Mindy, knowing full well she has them in the bag she is carrying, and I’m not mistaken. She takes out a folder, opening it, and giving me about fifteen pictures, all of different spots. One is with me standing on the bar, my hands in the air, my hair slicked back. One is me sitting on a bar stool, picking up my shirt to show my abs. I look at the same picture that they posted on the television screen. I give the pictures back to Mindy, who smirks at me.

“We need to diffuse the situation,” Mindy says. “We can say he snuck out.”

“Bullshit,” I say. “I was here all night long. Those pictures were taken more than three years ago, maybe even four.”

They all stop talking and look at me. Robert is the first one to talk. “How can you be sure?”

“My tattoo.” I point to the tattoo that I got across my ribs. “I got this the summer three years ago. In the picture you can see I don’t have it. Call bullshit on their pictures. Let them get the ‘credible source.’ I bet they can’t come up with one.”

Karrie gets up and walks over to my side. “He’s been nothing but on his best behavior. I can guarantee that he didn’t go anywhere last night because he went up to bed before me and I slept on the couch, so if he had left I would have heard him. Now,” she continues, “I need coffee.” She looks up at me, making me smile. “You want one?”

“Yup, I do,” I say, following her out of the room while I listen to the four of them start talking to each other. “Babe,” I whisper to her when we are out of earshot, but she shakes her head and walks to the kitchen, getting the coffee going. I go to the fridge, getting the orange juice out and drinking from the container.

“Matthew, is getting a glass too much work for you?” she snaps at me while she grabs a glass and hands it to me.

I take it and put it back on the counter while I continue to finish the rest of the juice.

I throw the container into the garbage. “I didn’t want to waste a glass when I knew I was going to finish what was left of it,” I say, leaning against the counter. “We going to talk about this?” I ask her, watching her back stiffen while she stands there staring at the coffee pot.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you two.”

I turn to the doorway where Doug stands with his hands in his pockets.

“We would like to discuss perhaps a press release.”

I nod my head and turn to Karrie, who isn’t making eye contact with me or her father. Instead, she is pouring coffee into two cups.

When she doesn’t say anything, her father clears his throat. “Is there something else that we should be talking about?”

Karrie puts the coffee pot down and levels her gaze on her father. “There’s absolutely nothing else we should discuss, unless you want to discuss how you thought I wasn’t doing my job. We could discuss that. We could discuss how you didn’t trust me to tell you it wasn’t last night.” Her tone is curt and direct.

“Honey, that isn’t what we meant.” He starts to say, but Karrie puts her hand up, stopping him from talking.

“I know what you meant, and to be honest I’m insulted. I take my job seriously, and if you thought I was the right person for the job, you wouldn’t be second-guessing me. Now,” she says, picking up one of the coffee cups on the counter and walking away, “let’s go hear this statement you want to put out.” She walks out of the room, leaving the second coffee on the counter.

“If you hurt her, I’ll bury you so far down they won’t find you.” He starts to say while my spine goes straight.

“I’ll give you the shovel.” Is all I say, picking up the coffee that she made for me and walking out of the room. I put the cup down in the hallway, going upstairs to my bedroom to get myself a T-shirt.

I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Cooper. He answers before the first ring even finishes.

“Tell me that isn’t you.” He blows out a long breath.

“It’s me, but from three years ago. It was before I got the tattoo on my ribs,” I tell him, sitting down to take a minute.

“I didn’t even notice.”

“Yeah, I didn’t either till I saw my hand in the air. Anyway, I just wanted to touch base with you. Everyone is here. We are going to discuss a statement.”

“Yeah, Robert is going to call me in a few. So we will talk after. Text your mom, please. She has been freaking out since this morning. I would also text Allison. She started cropping you out of the family pictures!” He laughs and then hangs up.

I send a group text to both my mother and sister with one sentence.

It’s an old picture. Check my ribs. No tattoo.

Allison answers right away.

I knew it.

I respond with a, No, you didn’t.

I put the phone away when I hear a knock on my door. “Come in.”

Karrie opens the door and walks in. “Hey. We are waiting for you.”

“I was just calling home to give them the heads-up.” I look back down at my hands. “They don’t need this.”

She closes the door and walks to me, her body fitting in the middle of my legs. My hands go up her legs to her ass and then finally land on her hips. “I’m sorry.”

Her hands go to my hair, running them through it. “I should be apologizing. I freaked out without thinking. I was so scared that it was a picture of us walking down the street or something that I was relieved when that picture came out.”

I smile at her. “You’re happy a picture of me with another woman is circulating?” I shake my head, thinking of how crazy this woman is.

“No, not that part, the part where it’s still just you and me without anyone knowing.” She leans down and kisses my lips. “Now let's go and get this thing over with so we can go back and see if third base will slip into a home run.”

“You know that I don’t play baseball, right? Hockey,” I tell her, thinking how I know nothing about baseball.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just easier to put sex terms in baseball instead of hockey.” She drops her hands from my hair and grabs my arms, dragging me out the door, dropping our hands the minute we get to the second floor but not before she squeezes it to give me her strength.